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Mygdållaðr/Figurative Language
There are many figures of speech used in Mygdållaðr, owing to the rich oral and written traditions. Styles of composition are usually headed by the esåledr, the court poets. Folk Poetry Folk poetry, or vaksåled are often simplistic and deal with the realities of life, like hard work and death. Common forms include acrostic poems and rhyming couplets. Vitvaksåled This acrostic poem teachees interrogatives and the inevitability of death, and is often used as a nursery rhyme. vit topr munnengubød yhåb For what man does the bell ring? RESPONSE: ili dannegmi farólonror Death is harvesting. vattig suknun bymérþå Who do you all run away from? RESPONSE valur hallohunir anån What does light walk avoiding? RESPONSE lavon hapšigwodir ymad With which of the pair does he play chess? RESPONSE vaŋ mahållegrbo senben ysån Which of many houses does the shadow pass through? RESPONSE (The next lines of the poem are usually not included in the song) vollip tag ydannegmi Where does the death dwell? hellab tag dannegmi Death dwells everywhere. voron tolo hinnermi Whence does a corpse exist? hofiŋ tolo dannegmi Every source death exists. vesuŋ suk vollóŋmi Whither do dreams run? tugon suk dannegmi Every goal death runs. valurvyŋ vo yvyŋmi When does the time end? fonnodvyŋ y dannegmi Every time is death. vob kapte vasiŋmi How does a serf work? hobot kapte dannegmi Every way death works. vored suguni mérmi Why do you struggle? fonnodbed suguni danneg Every reason death toils. Idioms Many idioms are taken from lines of poetry or fromed by allusion to myth. Myg Mygvuŋ Junnær Gevidmygjud Myg son of Myg, of the clan Junnær, Silvertonguelike, was an important esåled, popularizing many popular speech styles like the use of the kenning and the epic metre. Hæronsåð The follwing is an excerpt of part of a stanza from Hæronsåð, a famous saga about quarreling brothers based on historical figures during Myg's time. It is written in the epic metre, with a couplet and three quatrains making up a stanza. Stress alliteration is used in the quatrains, with A standing for stressed and B for unstressed. The initial couplet is rhymed and stress alliterated, often with heavy use of kennings. asærlugr jonpallynanirjykke ykodmaŋlonaran BABB BABBBAB BABBBB The pair of fate-bound (siblings) intensely eyed (stared) over (their) sword-cliffs (shields) ægugr jonpallynanirseggir ymygkiðlonaran BABB BABBBAB BABBBB The pair of mind-daggered (eyes) intensely eyed (stared) into (their) head-goblets (helmets) jonsevóg hæron to hiðmanaran matønven asær BAB AB B ABBB ABB BA Hæron and Hiðman drew their sword(s) jonbotó gøddodmir þorentora vyŋmir yalin BAB ABB ABBB AB BBA Twin lightnings of Gøddod caught the gaze of time oturig hæronnóþe vodanæo topkådror afur BAB ABB ABBB ABB BA Hæron would pay a weregild to Vodan alegæn døthug usannonr to kaþiþag ee BAB AB BABB B ABB A If the kin and domains of Alegæn were to be destroyed Bygritsåled The following is a short verse composed in the royal metre, with an alternating stress pattern of BABBABABB and BABABBABB. vånkogód owenr bussagr If a passerby were to observe a sight akane midr egonnenr He pays tribute to a standing stone etågen ufygr koǧaðr A name is apparent on stone y nadr røgmir awagéŋnor Jasper is worked stone's canyon kanvedni asuŋr hurålon A drawing must hearken to inspiration (like) odeŋað kygr oþinnadr A horse carries a jockey bygau aledmir vattigr What of old emerges? vušårod mérr ybygritnor You all behold the Bygrit!